2 syllables: Teach, es. Stress on Teach.
TEE-chuhz
/ˈtitʃəz/
Teaches is pronounced TEE-chuhz (/ˈtitʃəz/). It has two syllables (Teach-es), with the stress on "Teach". Teaches is a verb meaning to impart knowledge or skills to others, often in a structured or formal setting. In everyday usage it can describe guiding, instructing, or educating someone. The form shown here is the third-person singular present in simple present tense, as in a teacher teaches a lesson, or someone teaches students.
verbTeaches is a verb meaning to impart knowledge or skills to others, often in a structured or formal setting. In everyday usage it can describe guiding, instructing, or educating someone. The form shown here is the third-person singular present in simple present tense, as in a teacher teaches a lesson, or someone teaches students.
- You may default to a short /i/ as in ‘tip’ instead of the long /iː/ in the first syllable; ensure your mouth opens wide and your tongue stays high for /iː/. - Some speakers shorten the final /ɪz/ to /ɪz/ or reduce it to /əz/; keep the voiced /z/ clearly audible by sustaining voicing through the end. - The /tʃ/ blend is easy to mispronounce as /t/ or /dʒ/. Focus on a crisp /t/ release immediately into the /ʃ/ portion of /tʃ/ and blend into /ɪz/ without letting your jaw drop.
"The university teaches ancient history to curious students."
"Her neighbor teaches piano to beginners on weekends."
"The new workshop teaches practical problem-solving techniques."
Pronounce as /tiːtʃɪz/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable, which is a long /iː/ vowel. The ending is a voiced /z/ sound following a voiced /tʃ/ digraph. Tip: keep the tongue high for /iː/, followed by the abrupt /tʃ/ release and a vocalized z. Audio reference: listen to native speech on Pronounce or Forvo and imitate the smooth transition from /iː/ to /tʃ/ and then /ɪz/.
Common errors include saying the word with a short /i/ rather than /iː/ (e.g., /tɪtʃɪz/) and mispronouncing the /tʃ/ as a simple /t/ or /dʒ/ sound. Another frequent issue is pronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ in isolation. Correction: sustain the long /iː/ in the first syllable, produce a clear /tʃ/ as in 'ch,' and voice the final /z/. Practice minimal pairs to feel the difference: /tiːtʃ/ vs /tiːtʃɪz/.
Across US/UK/AU, the pronunciation remains /tiːtʃɪz/ with a long /iː/ vowel, but vowel quality may shift slightly: US often has a tenser /iː/; UK can be slightly more centralized in fast speech; AU tends toward a similar /iː/ but with subtle vowel lowering in rapid casual speech. The final /z/ remains voiced in all. Stress is consistently on the first syllable. Registros with connected speech may reduce the vowel before /tʃ/ slightly.
The challenge lies in the /tʃ/ consonant cluster: the sequence /t/ quick-steps into the affricate /tʃ/ needs precise timing, and the transition from /tʃ/ to /ɪ/ in /tʃɪz/ requires careful voicing and mouth position. Beginners often misplace the tongue or shorten the long /iː/ into a lax /ɪ/. Practice the two-syllable shape with a gentle stop before the /tʃ/ and maintain voicing through the final /z/.
Note the adjacent /t/ and /tʃ/ blend: the /t/ ends with a light release just before the /tʃ/ begins, creating a subtle, fast transition. In careful speech, you’ll feel the tongue raise to begin /tʃ/ without delaying the next segment. This makes gradual, controlled articulation essential, especially in rapid speech, to avoid slurring the /t/ and /tʃ/ together.
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- US: Favor a slightly tenser, longer /iː/ in the first syllable with a brighter /ɪ/ in the second, keeping the /tʃ/ sharp and the /z/ voiced. - UK: May sound a touch more relaxed in the /iː/; maintain a clean /tʃ/ and ensure the final /z/ is fully voiced; slight vowel reduction can occur in rapid speech. - AU: Similar to US, but may feature more relaxed lip rounding and a softer /iː/; keep the /tʃ/ precise and the final /z/ clear; avoid trailing vowels after /z/ in casual sentences. - IPA references: /tiːtʃɪz/; practice with slow, then medium, then fast tempo to stabilize the vowels and consonants.
The verb teach comes from Old English tacian or taecan, related to tǣcan meaning to show, point to, or declare. The Proto-Germanic root tekanan or tagjan evolved into Middle English techchen and then teach in Early Modern English. Over time, the sense shifted from a more general “to show” or “to point out” to the more specific modern meaning of imparting knowledge or skills. The verb has cognates across Germanic languages; for example, Dutch leert (to teach) and German lehren. In its semantic development, “teach” often implied not only information transfer but guidance, discipline, and mentorship, reflected in phrases like “to teach someone a skill” and “to teach a lesson.” The noun “teaching” emerged to describe the act or profession, leading to modern educational contexts where teaching is formalized in schools, universities, and training programs. The word’s morphology has remained relatively stable in English, with the third-person singular adding -es and the participle forms taught and teaching. First known use as a verb in English attests to its longstanding role in instruction and guidance within social and educational domains.
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Words that rhyme with "Teaches"
-hes sounds
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